Sylvania



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VELOCIPEDE.

Patented May 19,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEIOE.

THOMAS R. CONNOR AND THOMAS D. CONNOR, OE wiLKEs-BARRE, PENN- sYLvANIA.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,541, dated May 19,1891.

Application iiled December 10, 1890. Serial No. 374,210. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, if may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMASl R. CONNOR and THOMAS D. CONNOR, citizens ofthe United States, residing at W'ilkes-Barr, in

the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented. a newand useful Ve-v locipede, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to improve- 1o ments in velocpedes, theobjects being to provide a velocipede of cheap, simple, and dura. bleconstruction especially adapted to be manufactured for children and toaccommodate and be operated by one or two riders, as

-I5 may be desired, and also to provide a means of adjustment wherebythe machine is adapted for riders of various length of legs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description,

zo and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawing we have illustrated a perspective of a velocipedeconstructed in accordance with our invention.

In practicing our invention we employ the usual inverted-V-shaped frontfork 1, at the upper end of which is affixed the transverse handlebar 2,terminating in handles or grips designed to be grasped by the hands ofthe 3o front rider. In the lower ends of the fork 1 is journaled thefront drive-shaft 3, upon which, between the bifurcations of the fork,is mounted the front wheel 4, and at each side of the fork the shaft isprovided with ordinary cranks 5, upon which are adjustably mountedpropelling-pedals 6.

Pivoted at their front ends at the fork 1 is a pair of downwardly andrearwardly disposed side bars 7, which, near their rear ends,

4o are given a quarter-twist to form plates 8, clipped to a rear axle 9,which, between the clips, is provided with a pair of oppositelydisposedcranks 10.

Secured to the plates 8 of the side bars 7 is a pair of ellipticalsprings 11, upon which is mounted a rear seat 12, provided with theusual back and side arms or otherwise 1inished, as may be desired. Theouter ends of the axle 9 carry rear drive-wheels 13, which 5o arerigidly mounted upon the axle, so that they revolvein unison and withthe rotations of the axle. The upper edges of the bars 7,

in rear of the front wheel 4, are provided with bearings 14 and areconnected by means Of a transverse rod 15, upon which are looselysuspended two pairs of suspension-straps 16, said straps beingperforated to form adjustingholes 17 near their lower ends and beingspaced apart upon the rod by means of tubular sleeves 18. The straps areconnected in 6o pairs by means of transverse bolts 19, passed throughany pairof their openings, and upon the bolts, between each pair ofstraps, is mounted loosely a spool-shaped pedal 20.

2l designates a bifurcated pitman or con- 65 necting-rod, of which thereare two, the rear end of eachk connecting-rod being loosely coupled witha crank 10 of the axle 9 and having its bifu'rcated front end looselyconnected with one of the bolts 19, before mentioned. 7o Thebifurcations of the rods 21 are also provided with a series ofperforations or adjusting-holes 22, so that the length of stroke of therear pair of operating-pedals may be regulated to accommodate itself tothe length of the leg of the rider.

.i 23 designates a guide-rod or handle bifurcated at its front end toembracethe handlebar 2 at each side of the head of the fork 1, andterminates at its rear end in a suitable 8o handle 24, located withineasy reach of a perlson occupying the rear seat of the machine.

The handle 23 is intended for use when but one rider is using themachine and is seated in the rear seat 12. When, however, the machine isoperated by two riders, which may be accomplished, as will hereinafterappear, the handle 23 is swung to the front of a springclip 25, securedto one of the bifurcations of said front fork.

The front frame formed by the bars 7 is provided with the usual hangedneck 26, which in this instance is somewhat enlarged, and is providedwith a series of transverse perforations 27, designed to receive an ad-9 5 justing-bolt 28, which projects at both sides ofj the flange 26. Aforked seat-supporting standard 29 embraces the flange 26, and the bolt28, before mentioned, serves to adj ustably connect the forked end ofthe brace with the flange. By the bolt 2S the seat or saddle 30, mountedupon the rear end of the brace 29,

is pivoted in position, and is yieldingly supported in this instance bymeans of a llat spring 3l, having its rear end secured to the under sideof the saddle 30 and its front end recessed or l'orked to bear againstthe edge of the flange 26.

rlhe operation of our invention will be readily understood from theforegoing description, taken in connection with the draving, and it willbe apparent that the velocipede is adapted to receive and to be operatedby either one or two riders, and that its steering mechanism may beeasily adapted to be operated by the rider at the front or rear.

The construction of our invention is such as to specially adapt it forchildren and permits of its production at a reasonable cost. 'ith slightmodifications the machine maybe also manufactured in the higher grades.

Ilaving described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In a velocipede,the combination` with thefront fork, the axle mounted therein, the frontwheel, and pedals mounted upon the axle, ot` a rear frame-work, acrank-axle journaled therein and provided with a pair of central cranksand at its outer end with drive wheels, a seat supported upon theframework near its rear end, a front seat. supported by the frame-worknear its front end, a han dle-bar mounted upon the fork and adapted tobe operated from the front seat, opposite pairs of pivoted straps,pitmen connecting.y each pair of straps with one of the cranks of therear axle, and treadlesl located at the points of connection between thepitmen and the straps, substantially as specified.

2. In a velocipede, the combination, with the front fork terminating atitsupper end in a head, the handlesbar mounted upon the head, the frontaxle journaled in the lower end of the fork, the cranks thereon, pedalsadjustably mounted upon the cranks, and

the front wheel mounted upon the axle between the cranks, of therearwardly-disposed bars 7, pivoted at their front ends to the fork, theaxle 9, connected to the rear ends of the .bars and provided withintermediate cranks,

the wheels 13, mounted upon the ends of the axle, the bearing-rod 15,connecting the bars 7, the pairs of straps 1G,loosely suspended from thebars and having perforations 17, the bif urcated pitm en or connectingaods 21, loosely connected at their rear ends to the cranks ofthe rear axle and provided at their front ends with perforations, thebolts 1f), connecting,r the front ends of said rods with the straps,spools mounted on the bolts, the flange 26, located at the upper end ofthe bars 7 and provided with perforations 27, the bifurcated brace 20,embracing the flange, the bolt 2S, adjustably connecting the brace andflange, the saddle 30, the spring 31, secured at its rear end to thesaddle and at its front end bifurcated to embrace the flange, and theseat 12, suitably supported by and secured to the rear ends of the bars7, substantially as specitied.

3. In a vclocipedc, the combination, with the front fork, its axle,wheel, and handle-bar, of the rearwardly-disposed frame, the crankedaxle mounted therein, the rear seat mounted upon the frame, the treadlesconnected to the rear axle and pivoted to the frame, the handle 23,pivoted to the handle-bar of the front fork and terminating,r adjacentto the rear seat, and the spring-clips 25 for locking the handle,substantially as specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaflixcd our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS R. CONNOR. THOMAS D. CONNOR. Witnesses:

E. V. JACKSON. ELIAS COHEN.

